Wire clothes-pin.



R. C GRAHAM, Sn.

WIRE CLOTHES 1 m. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20. l916- Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

n'oennr o. GRAHAM, sa, or ronwr PLEASANT, new JERSEY.

WIRE CLOTHES-PIN.

Specification 'of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

Application filed September 20, 1916. Serial No. 121,221.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, ROBERT C. GRAHAM,

S11, a citizen of the United States, residing at Point Pleasant, in the county of Ocean,

State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in l/Vire Clothes-Pins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art o which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes pins.

The object of the invention is to provide a wire clothes pin of simple form and of such character that it will grip clothes or fabrics firmly so as to obviate the danger of their becoming loosened therefrom, but which will also obviate any danger of the clothes or fabrics being torn or otherwise disfigured. To this end, the improved construction consists of a continuous wire structure in which the clamping jaws are formed without the presence of the wire ends within the area of the clamping portion of the jaws. Furthermore, the construction is such that the pins are provided with shanks which are formed from continuations of the legs of the jaws and cooperate with the ends of the continuous lengths to increase the resilience of the 'aws.

With the above objects in view and such other objects as may hereinafter appear my invention will now be fully set forth and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of the device,

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same devlce,

Fig. 3 is a side View of a second form,

Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a side view of a third form.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a continuous length of wire is bent upon itself substantially at its middle point to provide the loop 1 which rises from a twisted shank 2. The loop 1 is overturned to form a hook which may be conveniently engaged over a clothes line, a rod or other suitable support. Below the shank 2 the wire strands are continued downwardly for an appreciably long distance and are then turned to one side and again upwardly to form substantially triangular jaws 3. As

best seen in Fig. 2, the free ends of the strands whichare carried upwardly to form the third sides of the jaws 3 are crossec, as at 1, and are then wrapped around the opposite strands just below the shank 2. The clothes pins are formed of resilient or spring wire, so that thejaws inherently. will lie close together, but by crossing the strands at the points, the jaws are interlocked so as to increase the resilience of their engagement and thereby add to the grip which they mayv maintain upon a fabric.

In Fig. 3 a continuous strand of wire is again bent upon its middle point to provide the loop 1, and the shank 2. The strand 5 upon one side is then carried downwardly and shaped into the hooked loop 6, the free end of the strand 5 then being carried upwardly in substantially parallel relation to its downwardly extended length and its extremity wrapped about the strand 7 just below the shank 2. The hooked loop 6 is formed by turning upwardly the lower end of the loop formed by overturning the strand 5, and forms a faced jaw. The strand 7 is also carried downwardly and upwardly in substantially parallel legs, the latter being slightly bowed at 8. and the lower end of the loop formed thereby being inturned to form the reentrant aw 9 which rides through the space formed between the. sides of the jaw 6. The jaw inc er is also turned slightly out of the p ne of the legs of the strand 7 and into substantial parallelism with the sides of the jaw 6. The free end of the strand 7, as is the case with the free end of the strand 5 is carried across and wrapped about the strand 5 ust below the shank 2.

In Fig. 5 the strand is again looped at its middle point to form the loop 1 and the shank 2. The strands thus formed are then carried downwardly and upwardly to provide the loops 10 and 11, the free ends of the strands being then wrapped about the four diameters of the wire which appear ust below the shank 2. The loop 10 incloses the loop 11, and near its lower end is provided with a transverse inward bend 12 which constitutes the gripping portion of a aw. Opposite the jaw 12 the loop 11 is also inwardly bent in the opposite direction to the aw 12 to form the aw 13. When the loops 10 and 11 are separated, the aw 13 will ride apart to permit the insertion of the fabric therebetween, the lower end of the loops below the jaw being outturned or divergent to provide an entrance opening into which the material to be gripped may be entered.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have provided avery practical and simple form of wire clothes pin which will perform all the functions usually required of such articles, but add thereto the advantages that they will not damage the goods clamped thereby and that 'the'articles,instead of being gripped directly to the line may first be placed within the pins and the latter then suspended from the line.

WVhat I claim is 1. A wire clothes pin comprising in combination, a continuous wire length shaped at its middle into a supporting'loop and shank, the strands of the length being then shaped into jaws and the free sides of the jaws being crossed to interlock the latter,

the extremity of each side. being then I wrapped ar'ound'the opposite-strand to complete the jaw.

2. A wire clothes pin consisting of a continuous wire length shaped at its middle point into a supporting loop and shank, and

having the strands below the shank shaped into jaws, the lower ends of the jaw loops In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature,-

in the presence'of two witnesses.

ROBERT C. GRAHAM, Sn. WVitnesses:

DAVID ZIM, L, D. BADGLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, DIG. 

